According to data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were about 418,000 pharmacy technicians working in the U.S. as of May 2019. Pharmacy technicians are employed in various settings, including health and personal care stores, hospitals, food and general merchandise stores with pharmacy services, and other businesses involved in the distribution of pharmaceutical products. Pharmacy technicians typically earn salaries that are lower than what average workers in most other occupations earn. As of May 2019, the BLS estimates the national mean wage for pharmacy technicians at $35,250 per year, as compared to the $53,490 annual mean wage for the average worker in all occupations in the U.S. Pharmacy technician pay varies considerably from region-to-region. May 2019 data from the BLS reveals the following about pharmacy technician pay in the top 20 metropolitan areas in the United States:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 20,910 | $36,250 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 12,710 | $45,270 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 15,950 | $34,240 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 11,840 | $35,740 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 8,830 | $35,840 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 6,030 | $38,760 | ||
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 8,920 | $34,220 | ||
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 9,000 | $33,230 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 5,760 | $32,650 | ||
| 10 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 6,270 | $35,550 | ||
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 6,820 | $38,070 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 4,500 | $51,090 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 3,950 | $40,630 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 7,470 | $35,540 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 3,960 | $44,940 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 5,280 | $39,580 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 2,840 | $42,380 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 4,660 | $32,720 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 3,010 | $39,010 | ||
| 20 | St. Louis | 4,860 | $34,370 | ||
| National | 417,780 | $35,250 | |||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on December 12, 2020